Author Topic: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?  (Read 9974 times)

Offline evildrome

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Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« on: October 16, 2013, 07:48:27 AM »
Hi All,

 Once of my very oldest friends is now in his mid 80's. He's physically & mentally very capable but, sadly, he's having real trouble with his eyes. He recently had a cataract operation but it hasn't helped as much as we'd hoped.

 I'm wondering if a webcam on a flexi shaft coupled to an appropriately mounted 14" flat screen monitor might let him get back to machining on his Colchester Bantam.

 I'd just go ahead and do it but I'm not sure what sort of camera to get.

 I suppose that what I'm trying to do is blow up a 2 to 3 inch field of vision onto the monitor. I'm guessing I do not need a USB microscope for this. A normal modern webcam would work?

Given that a webcam expects to be connected to a PC (usually via USB) does anyone know of a suitable camera I could just plug directly into a monitor? Or a monitor that will take a USB camera directly?

Money's not really a problem. I've got a budget of about £300 in mind.

TIA,

 Wilson Logan.










 

Offline micktoon

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2013, 08:58:13 AM »
Hi Wilson, sorry to hear about your friends sight problems, to test your theory you can rig up a normal camcorder to a flat screen monitor.
  Doubleboost will probably comment too but he uses this type of set up to help when making his videos but has commented on it being helpful to see in more detail than standing looking.
  The good news is it should work and also not cost much to set up either, I will mention the post to John Doubleboost.
  Cheers Mick

Offline David Jupp

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2013, 09:06:29 AM »
Couple of points to watch out for;-

1. normal distance to subject for a webcam may not be close to that for you application.   Check focal range.

2. as standard, webcams tend to show a mirror image (feels more natural if you watch your own picture on screen) - this isn't what you want for the described application.  There will be a setting in the software to remove the mirror effect.

Offline colin563

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2013, 12:52:40 PM »
What about an opti visor

Cheers colin

Offline doubleboost

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2013, 03:59:20 PM »
Hi
As Mick mentioned I use a computer monitor when I am recording video.
On several occasions I have found it easier to watch the monitor than the actual job
A cheap video camera (thousands on ebay)  a monitor and a break out box to convert the video signal to something the monitor will recognise
The break out box is not expensive
If you need more just pm me
John

Offline AussieJimG

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2013, 02:26:56 AM »
I am watching this with interest as my sight fails slowly but surely. I have thought about a webcam and one of my discarded laptops but the need is not yet critical.

Jim

Offline chipenter

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2013, 03:11:13 AM »
Web cams that be focus t by a ring on the front can go down to 50mm 2" , or for a double the price you can go wireless but they are larger for the battery case .
Jeff

Offline AdeV

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2013, 11:15:15 PM »
Something else to consider.... how's the old gent's hearing?

I ask this not to be flippant; but because there will be some speeds - which his lathe may or may not do, only practice would tell - where the machine would appear not to be spinning.

If his hearing is good, then that shouldn't be an issue as he'll hear it running, even if it appears to be static. But if he's a bit deaf, I'd worry that me might stick his hand in there while it's still under power.
Cheers!
Ade.
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Occasionally: Zhengzhou, China. An even longer way from anywhere...

Offline Fergus OMore

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2013, 03:44:34 AM »
Ade!  My thanks as an old octogenarian  for raising the comments about hearing in many of us- survivors.
I think that general cut off point for permanent hearing damage caused by gunfire is actually 75.
I'd been renewing my sub to the Royal British Legion having temporarily abandoned my missus who had had the deadly nightshade in her eyes in preparation for a cataract op next month.

OK, I'm also deaf and have had two cataract ops - and thought that I had heard(?) it all before.
Surprisingly, no. It seems that steroid injections are now hastening the onset of cataracts. Mepacrine for malaria added to the deafness problem for many of us- and our knees and hips are letting us down.

I suppose that with the imminent rise in electricity prices that we should be careful which way we point those stroboscopes ( sorry, fluorescent tubes) in the workshop.

Maybe the rise in heating costs will mean that we are all doomed to hyperthermia and that the problems - and us will go away.

( Just a bit of a rant- It's foggy outside- or is it :scratch:)

Norm

Offline evildrome

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #9 on: October 18, 2013, 06:34:53 AM »
Hi Guys,

 Thanks for the suggestions.

 I hadn't considered using a video camera. I actually have an old JVC GR-DVL9200 which I bought back in 2000. Cost me an arm & a leg at the time.

Subsequently the record function died (tape transport failure) but of course, I hung on to it "just in case".

The image quality is excellent so I will hook it up to an LCD monitor and see what it is capable of.

Regarding hearing... that's a very valid point. My friend has reduced hearing but he can hear me talking. I'll discuss with him if we feel further precautions are required. He's ex-nuclear industry so he's already very safety conscious.

I myself am married so I am actively looking forward to going deaf.

Cheers,

 Wilson.


 

Offline Joules

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2013, 08:34:04 AM »
It's quite easy to fake, just answer them back with words that rhyme with what was said, they soon think your daft or deaf...   Come to think of it I probably fit each of those catagories.

 :doh:

On the subject of webcams, if I am working on small stuff in the lathe a webcam attached to one lens on a pair of binoculars gives good results with the camera being out of the way.
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.

Offline Anzaniste

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #11 on: October 18, 2013, 04:30:16 PM »
Bloody hell Fergus you're really making me look forward to my next ten years!!!
Scrooby, 1 mile south of Gods own County.

Offline Fergus OMore

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #12 on: October 18, 2013, 05:35:12 PM »
Bloody hell Fergus you're really making me look forward to my next ten years!!!

Diary of today? Phone call. Mate of mine is resigning from this and that. He has hardened arteries- big bugger- played professional football. Cannot be operated on. for replacement knees. Wife has a leaky heart valve and the onset of dementure.
Note in diary to ring up my wife's old school mate. Her husband is in same hospital. Type 2 Diabetes, heart attack, stent fitted. 6 weeks ago he was found with a broken hip. New hip fitted- then has stroke on right side.
Then his kidneys failed- then doubly incontinent. He's getting a bit of speech back.
Tomorrow, my son in law and daughter are coming up from Leeds. Our son's 40th. Great. Dwayne is senior cardiologist at Wakefield- still isn't home yet. So son's mother in law is joining in the fun- her husband only 75 died of prostate cancer at Christmas.

Going out on Monday with my pinny on. One of Chinese lot- 83 like me has packed in and left his bottles for us to raffle for charity at £2 a bottle. He had quadruple bypass.

Me- and the missus- best silver solderer etc are off for another jaunt. She hasn't driven since March after her hip replacement went wrong and the consultant neurologist hit the nerve and paralysis set in.

She is looking for a car with an automatic box as her left leg is too weak to pedal the 7 sprocket one on the Mini Cooper.

Enjoy it- like us

Regards

Norman

Offline AdeV

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #13 on: October 21, 2013, 04:23:07 AM »
Note for diary: Don't hang around with Fergus, he only knows sick people...
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline AussieJimG

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #14 on: October 21, 2013, 05:52:13 AM »
Note for diary: Don't hang around with Fergus, he only knows sick people...

and people in pinnys

Jim

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #15 on: October 21, 2013, 08:54:16 AM »
Guess there's a lot of ways of looking at things. I used to live in New Orleans where people would throw a block party just because their cat had kittens. Brought my 93 year old great aunt up here from there after Katrina decimated the city, she stayed here for 3 months and kept us laughing. Typical: we rented a Clark Gable movie, and my wife said she didn't think he was that good looking. My aunt said, "I'm going to have to buy you a pair of glasses." Which brings us back to the original topic of this thread.  :beer:

ps. I flew her back home when it was safe again, repaired her roof and replaced her refrigerator. Damage to her house was minimal, and she continued on living her independent life for a couple more years. We'd offered to let her stay here indefinitely, but she was dyed in the the wool New Orleans. A special breed of people.
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Offline Dawai

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Re: Failing sight... is webcam & monitor an option?
« Reply #16 on: November 06, 2013, 08:17:18 PM »
I have a microscope on a "home made rig".  Need a .25 or .5 objective to increase working height-focus range so I can work under it better.

Thoughts, sharpening drill bits like I used to be able to see, once upon a time. I had a camera-monitor hooked up once. wrote software for it.. things fall by the side like that. more important issues to attend to.

Photo- molock the owl on the dollar bill under the microscope.. Crescent moon, top left in right corner in the Rothschild shield of the $1 USA currency.
I Hung a 24 foot Ibeam this morning in the ceiling by myself, programmed a Arduino this afternoon for a solar project, Helped a buddy out with a electrical motor connection issue on the phone, then cut up a chicken for Hotwings. I'd say it has been a "blessed day" for myself and all those around me.